Montreal Canadiens vs Buffalo Sabres Prediction, Odds and Stanley Cup Playoffs Game 1 Picks for Today, 05/06/26

The Montreal Canadiens and Buffalo Sabres are set for Game 1 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Wednesday night in Buffalo. The Canadiens begin this series coming off a thrilling 7-game series against the Lightning that featured 7 one-goal games with 4 being decided in overtime. Montreal scored just 2 total goals over Games 6 and 7, but things could open up a bit more in Game 1 against Buffalo. These division rivals met 4 times during the course of the regular season, and at least 6 total goals were scored in all 4 matchups. Furthermore, the Canadiens scored at least 3 goals in 3 of those 4 contests. Coming off a grueling series with limited ice space against Tampa Bay, look for Montreal to find a better offensive groove against Buffalo.

The Buffalo power play has been a popular topic of conversation this postseason, as the Sabres went just 1-for-24 on the man advantage in the first round against the Bruins. However, I do not expect those woes to last much longer. In 2 home games against the Canadiens in the regular season, the Sabres went 3-for-8 on the power play. That should give them some confidence heading into this matchup. Furthermore, it’s not like the Canadiens’ penalty kill is dominating, as they rank 11th among 16 playoff teams with a penalty kill percentage of 82.8% in the postseason. These teams have shown they know how to score plenty of goals against one another, and while things may tighten up a bit in the postseason, they should still be able to clear the listed total of 5.5 in Wednesday’s Game 1.

Canadiens vs Sabres Game 1 best bet: Over 5.5 (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable to -130.

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